Wake up, attend school, play and study — this is what a typical day looks like for 12-year-old Jenmay Joshi. A student of grade seven, the Ajman-resident is a star performer and gets good grades every semester according to his father, Harshal Joshi.
When speaking to Gulf News, the father said: “His regular day involves waking up at 5.45am. He keeps his uniform and things ready the night before so that he doesn’t have to rush in the morning. After getting ready and having his breakfast, he leaves home at 6.45am and rides the bus to school. It’s a 45-minute journey and it’s not much of a hassle as the school is in the same emirate. He comes home at 2.15pm and the rest of the day is spent first playing and then studying and doing his homework.”
With a month into the school schedule, Jenmay’s class is currently going through their midterms. The schedule works in a way where the school tests the students on a regular basis, to ensure that they are up to speed.
Harshal said: “There are routine exams. Each one comprises a small percentage that is added to the final grade. This helps both teachers and parents to understand how much a child understands when it comes to a particular subject and which courses they need more assistance with. On a normal day, he would study or focus on his homework for upto three hours. But, during exams he spends at least six hours studying in the day, depending on the difficulty of the course. He’s already taking courses such as physics, biology and chemistry.
“My wife is the one who helps him study. She’s made a schedule for him to follow and keeps a track of his scorecard to see what courses he needs help with. Because based on that she has an idea of what courses are more challenging for him to prepare for the finals.”
Varsha Joshi, Jenmay’s mother and a homemaker, is happy to be taking on the responsibility.
She told Gulf News: “I have two children, Jenmay and a younger son who is nine years old. I have to pay attention to them and the responsibilities of the house, which include cleaning, cooking and even buying groceries. It’s difficult, but it’s for my children and I’m responsible for them and their success. I have to spend time with them and make sure they’re doing well in school.”
When asked about the biggest challenges that Jenmay faces, Varsha said: “With exams, his main focus is preparing for them. The school is kind enough to give them a day off, like a ‘study day’. And there is a gap between the exams, so they aren’t being tested every day. They have ample time to study on that day off. I wake them up at 9am and then the day goes by with my quizzing him orally or with writing practice for subjects like Hindi. Some days are better than others, but this is the major challenge.”
